Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Sion Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Sion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,606 in Basel versus $2,806 in Sion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $4,758 in Sion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $6,709 in Sion.

Living in Basel is roughly 28% more expensive than in Sion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Sion 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$30.60 CHF 24.79

1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$122 CHF 99.0

26.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$18.01 CHF 14.59

7.77%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$4.67 CHF 3.78

44.11%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.08 CHF 4.12

7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$4.38 CHF 3.55

18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$7.60 CHF 6.15

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$7.17 CHF 5.81

1.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$1.85 CHF 1.50

19.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.82 CHF 3.10

1.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$5.04 CHF 4.08

2.98%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$6.20 CHF 5.02

26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$27.38 CHF 22.18

4.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$23.80 CHF 19.28

54.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$44.05 CHF 35.68

0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.58 CHF 2.90

9.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.72 CHF 2.20

0.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$3.64 CHF 2.95

14.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$6.34 CHF 5.14

10.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$3.14 CHF 2.54

3.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.82 CHF 2.29

5.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.54 CHF 2.06

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.25 CHF 1.01

19.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.00 CHF 8.91

7.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$13.59 CHF 11.01

0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$1.82 CHF 1.47

32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$1.88 CHF 1.52

61.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$5.14 CHF 4.16

-7.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$181 CHF 147

-42.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$6.30 CHF 5.10

25.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.24 CHF 3.44

2.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$49.32 CHF 39.95

77.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-1.79%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.9K CHF 33.1K

-0.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$37.6K CHF 30.5K

19.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$302 CHF 245

$307 CHF 249

-1.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$37.36 CHF 30.26

44.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$59.0 CHF 47.80

-0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$140 CHF 114

-35.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$55.6 CHF 45.00

-25.51%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$22.42 CHF 18.16

3.35%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$985 CHF 798

157.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$35.2K CHF 28.5K

-3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$133 CHF 107

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$60.8 CHF 49.24

44.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$157 CHF 127

14.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$223 CHF 181

3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$873 CHF 707

140.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$743 CHF 602

103.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$1,715 CHF 1,389

118.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$1,922 CHF 1,557

47.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$7,432 CHF 6,020

152.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$5,527 CHF 4,477

163.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$5,940 CHF 4,811

20.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.5

2.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sion: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $873 in Sion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $122 in Sion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $596 per month, with Sion cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basel vs Sion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sion wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Basel, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,103 in Basel versus $873 in Sion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $985 in Sion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sion is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Sion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.